ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Iran on Monday indicated its willingness to return to dialogue with the United States to de-escalate tensions. The flexibility on the issue was indicated by the Iranian side during a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is in the Iranian capital in an attempt to revive the stalled diplomatic process between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, there was progress during the meeting,\u201d a source told Dawn. Mr Naqvi, who arrived in Tehran on Monday, was received by his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni. \u201cWe had discussions on the mediation process,\u201d Mr Naqvi said while talking to media in the presence of his Iranian counterpart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the meeting, Mr Momeni said Iran was thankful to Pakistan\u2019s political and military leadership for its efforts for regional peace and stability. \u201cWe are grateful to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts for regional peace,\u201d the Iranian minister was quoted as saying in a statement issued here by the interior ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The visit comes at a time when diplomatic activity has intensified to prevent another round of escalation between Iran and US, with both Qatar and Pakistan maintaining contacts with the two sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qatar has in recent we\u00ad\u00adeks emerged as a key channel between Wa\u00ad\u00adsh\u00ading\u00adton and Tehran. Its foreign ministry said on Monday that its mediation team had been exchanging ideas with both sides for nearly two weeks in an effort to bridge differences and find a suitable moment to resume negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran relays conditions for talks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran has conveyed through Qatar a set of conditions for reopening talks, including an end to fighting on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the US naval blockade. Iranian officials said seven conditions were conveyed, although all of them were not publicly disclosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest diplomatic activity follows the collapse of the 14 point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding brokered by Pakistan on June 17. The conflict has since continued with sporadic strikes and a US naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has maintained control over traffic through the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan, meanwhile, has remained engaged in efforts to keep the diplomatic channel open. Field Marshal Asim Munir has used his contacts with the US administration while Pakistani officials have made repeated visits to Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest visit also carries significance ahead of Mr Pezeshkian\u2019s travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The Iranian president is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UNGA in the coming days. The meeting could provide another opportunity for the two leaders to discuss the stalled peace process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has given mixed signals on the prospects of renewed negotiations, while Ira\u00adnian officials have continued to combine their readiness for diplomacy with warnings of a strong response to any fresh US military action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The possibility of renewed diplomacy is also being backed by developments around the Strait of Hormuz, where Pakistan has quietly secured the passage of another Qatari liquefied natural gas shipment after negotiations with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shipment crossed the strait over the weekend and is expected to reach Pakistan\u2019s LNG import facility by Tuesday, making it the second Qatari LNG cargo to reach Pakistan this month through an understanding with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No visa from US<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Separately, the US refu\u00adsed to issue visas to members of President Pezesh\u00adkian\u2019s delegation, including his communications team, for his trip to the UN General Assembly, Iranian state media reported. President Peze\u00adshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, part of the delegation to the UN, left Iran on Sunday evening for a stopover in Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Foreign ministry spok\u00adesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused the Trump administration of \u201ctrampling on the right of access to information\u201d, pointing to its recent move to bar three major US media outlets from the White House over objections to their coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen an administration slams its doors shut \u2014 even on American journalists it happens to dislike \u2014 and bars foreign reporters, including the Iranian president\u2019s media team, whose voices it would rather silence, it is not managing access; it is trying to hide the truth,\u201d Baqaei said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian airlines to be \u2018shut down\u2019 from tomorrow<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that Iranian airlines will have trouble functioning globally in two days under the weight of American sanctions. On Sept 23, \u201call the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,\u201d Bessent told CNBC in an interview as the war launched by the United States and Israel nears the seven-month mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,\u201d he added.Two Iraqi sources told AFP on Monday that Baghdad would suspend flights by Iranian airlines following the US Treasury\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia also barred Iranian carriers from its land, while Iranian airline Mahan said it suspended service to Turkiye at the re\u00ad\u00adquest of the Turkish government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Iran on Monday indicated its willingness to return to dialogue with the United States to de-escalate tensions. The flexibility on the issue was indicated by the Iranian side during a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is in the Iranian capital in an attempt to revive the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n